BCS title history doesn't bode well for Ducks' defense

Nov. 5, 2012
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Linebacker Michael Clay (45) and the rest of the Oregon defense struggled to keep USC out of the end zone Saturday in a 62-51 win. No team in the BCS era has allowed 50 or more points in regulation of a regular season game and gone on to win the national championship. / Kirby Lee, US Presswire

by Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY Sports

by Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY Sports

On Saturday, No. 2 Oregon set a school best with 730 yards of total offense and became the first team to score more than 60 points against USC.

But the Ducks also allowed quarterback Matt Barkley and the Trojans to keep pace with 51 points, tying the highest point total the Ducks have allowed since the start of the 2004 season. And it's that number that could have the most historical significance.

Since the inception of the BCS in 1998, no team that has won the national championship has allowed 50 or more points in regulation during the regular season. The only team in the BCS era to allow more than 50 points in regulation and still play for a national championship was Nebraska, which gave up 62 points to Colorado in the 2001 regular season finale before losing 37-14 to Miami (Fla.) in the 2002 Rose Bowl.

If the past six seasons of SEC dominance has proved anything, it's that a good defense is a prerequisite for winning the national championship. Since 2006, the only national champion to finish outside the top 17 in scoring defense is Auburn, which ranked 53rd nationally in 2010.

"If you're going to line them up besides Alabama, Florida, LSU, how does this Oregon defense stack up against teams in the SEC? They're not at that level man to man to man," said ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit.

But one thing the Ducks have is depth, Herbstreit said, especially along the defensive line. Even after allowing USC to score 51 points, Oregon still ranks 27th in FBS in yards allowed per play, which is viewed as the strongest barometer of a defense's ability. And Oregon can always tout the nation's best offense.

Could the Ducks simply outscore every opponent in winning the program's first national championship? Perhaps, but history is not on the Ducks' side. Oregon's defense will need to rebound before taking on a team like Alabama in January. But that discussion runs both ways. After allowing 435 yards to LSU on Saturday, the Crimson Tide need to worry about their own defense.

"It'd be a big challenge for Alabama to stop Oregon," Herbstreit said.